"Are we missing anybody?!"
When Bruce Springsteen announced in January that he and his E Street Band were going to launch a world tour with a show in Atlanta (my favorite city), I immediately felt compelled to attend.
Something told me I had to be there to witness the first arena show by the band since saxophonist/percussionist/Secretary of the Brotherhood Clarence Clemmons died in July. Part of me was happy the band was releasing a new album ("Wrecking Ball") and touring. But I also couldn't fathom an "E Street Show" without The Big Man standing stage left, beside Bruce.
The only thing I wasn't conflicted about was that I had to be there.
As excited as I was to be seeing this show, I really didn't know what to expect. Why am I typing this on my iPad in my Atlanta hotel room just two hours after it's concluded?
Because I have to get this down, just to process all of it. I'll flesh this out and post the entire set list later this week, but these are some immediate thoughts:
Bruce and the band opened with two songs from the new record, and they sounded great. The third song in the set was "Badlands". The song has an iconic saxophone solo. I knew it was coming, and even still, about halfway through that solo, I started to cry. It suddenly hit me. Hard. The audience wildly cheered every sax solo throughout the night, partially to reassure and welcome the multiple horn players now in The E Street Band (I won't say they are "filling Clarence's shoes", because they would be the first to admit that cannot be done), and they cheered in part to honor The Big Man.
As the night progressed, the magnitude of the loss became more and more apparent.
After "Badlands" came the song "My City Of Ruins" from The Rising album. In the middle of this song, Bruce said "Roll call Max!", and began to introduce the many members of The E Street Band.
"Damn, this wont be easy," I said out loud After he said the names of everyone present, he then said "Are we missing anybody?"
Then again, "Are we MISSING ANYBODY?!"
[Side note: Original E Street organist Danny "The Phantom" Federici died of skin cancer in 2008, so now there are two 'missing members' of The E Street Band.]
Pacing the front of the stage, Bruce bellowed again "Are we MISSING ANYBODY?!!" he then stopped center stage, leaned on a mic stand and spoke as the band continued to play "My City Of Ruins" quietly.
"There is...there's a void here tonight. The only thing I can guarantee is that...if you're here...and we're here, they're here."
True enough, Bruce.
Clarence's nephew Jake handled the solo from "Born to Run" beautifully, and with the houselights up full blast, the moment had a very cathartic effect.
As "American Land" roared toward it's conclusion, I thought the show was over, I sighed heavily and awaited the cue to head toward the door.
But Bruce wasn't done. With his classic count-off, the piano intro to "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" filled the arena. Since the lyric mentions The Big Man by name, I really thought the song would not be part of the set. And then I saw a moment I will cherish forever.
As the song moved toward that lyric, Bruce said the customary "Now, this is the important part!", and sang "When the change was made uptown and The Big Man joined the band!"
Then the music stopped. Cold. Bruce, Steven, Max, Roy, Nils and everyone else on stage looked skyward in tribute as the entire crowd screamed, cried...whatever cathartic gesture worked for them.
After what seemed like five minutes (but it was probably only 60 seconds), Jake Clemmons took his solo moment and the song rode a wave of emotion until the final lyrical declaration:
"Oh yeah...it's all right!"
I wasn't sure at the outset, but by night's end, I knew that The E Street Band will roll on, celebrating the new record and honoring the ones who are missing...but not forgotten.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
03.19.12
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Taylor Swift - Speak Now World Tour October 1 and 2, Atlanta, GA
"But...it's not just a concert, it's Taylor Swift!!"
I heard that exact sentence three different times over the weekend as fans tried to explain the forthcoming event to the uninitiated. In just a little over two years, Taylor Swift has gone from country-pop darling to megastar, and her current tour is not just a concert or a show, it's an event that rivals those seen on Broadway or in Vegas. It's big, it's frenetic, and Taylor's thousands of screaming fans make sure that every night is loud. Very loud. Easily the loudest crowd I have had the pleasure to be a part of. The location of my seat may have had something to do with the volume.
These two shows in Atlanta were my second and third time seeing the Speak Now 2011 tour. If you follow my blog, then you know very well that I saw the Fearless Tour twice in 2010. These two shows in Atlanta were the first shows where I bought just a solo ticket for me when they went onsale, and that's how I ended up with some incredible floor seats. I'll get to just how incredible they were in a bit, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The first thing I noticed as soon as I got inside Phillips Arena was that Taylor's face was everywhere. Huge life size posters advertised Cover Girl [the tour's sponsor] seemingly every twenty feet around the concourse. At the merchandise tent where you could buy almost anything with Taylor's face on it, there was also a big screen showing Taylor videos [I stopped to watch the video for the song 'The Story of Us'. Watch it on YouTube if you haven't seen it. Just a few seconds in and you'll know why I stopped.]. Yes, wherever Taylor's likeness was found, there was a crowd gathered in excitement; ready to make this a very memorable night for themselves and for the artist.
As I made my way back from the merch tent with new t-shirt in hand, I stopped by Guest Services to inquire about an elevator ride down to the floor. The staff was great and led me to the freight elevator which landed me 'behind the scenes' so to speak. I wasn't backstage, but I did see a group of about twenty fans who had 'T-Party' passes getting the lecture from the tour coordinator on how the pre-show meet and greet with Taylor would work. Looking at one girl's face, maybe ten years old, she was so excited she looked as if she was going to burst. Would I have liked a backstage pass? Sure. But I wasn't bummed or jealous one bit, because the experience is multiplied exponentially the younger the fan is, so that these fans were about to meet someone they admire more than almost any authority figure, I shared their excitement as I nodded to the tour coordinator and made my way to my seat.
"Drop Everything Now!"
If forced to pick one favorite song from Taylor's last two albums, I would choose 'You Belong With Me' from the Fearless album and 'Sparks Fly' from Speak Now. I mention this only because for each of the last two tours, my favorite songs have been the show opener. Not that I don't like or love the other songs. I love them all, but that 'Sparks Fly' was the opener of the evening meant things were going to be off to a fantastic start.
After a brief video message, Taylor rose from under the stage, surrounded by smoke and looking regal in a long gold gown that sparkled and caught light with every step she took. Fireworks in the middle of song one told me this was a bigger show than the Fearless tour, but this was just the beginning.
Having never been to Phillips Arena before, I wondered what the sound was going to be like. Would it be as bad and echo-drenched as Washington, DC's Verizon Center, or as clear and crisp as John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville? While maybe not as crisp and intimate as JPJ, the sound at Phillips was stellar for an arena of that size [14,000+]. Not a lyric was lost except when the screams overwhelmed the PA and literally shook the stage.
After costume change #1 two songs in, Taylor, playing the banjo, and her fiddle player Caitlin Evanson played the opening notes of 'Our Song', the lone representative from Taylor's debut album, and that segued nicely into 'Mean', with the band dressed in the same outfits they wore in the video. Each song in the set was a sing along, because all of Taylor's fans know all the words to all of her songs. Experiencing that aspect of the show from the floor was wonderful and something I will never forget.
That's the thing about Taylor Swift. If you are a fan of her music, then you get it, you love her and you don't care what anyone else thinks. If you're not a fan, then there really is no point in me trying to explain it. You don't get it and you probably never will. For the 28,000 who 'got it', this weekend was one they won't soon forget.
Now, the setlists. Most of the set was the same both nights, but each night had some surprises. The bracketed songs are departures from the scheduled set, and the night they occurred is noted beside the song title:
1.Sparks Fly
2.Mine
3.Story of Us
4.Our Song
5.Mean
6.Back to December / Apologize /You're Not Sorry
7.Better Than Revenge
8.Speak Now
9.Fearless (Acoustic on ukulele)
10.Last Kiss (acoustic)
11.Baby Girl [Sugarland cover] (acoustic)
12. You Belong With Me
13.Dear John
14.[Yeah! with special guest Usher - Nite #1]
15.Enchanted
16.Haunted
17.[Live Your Life with special guest TI - Nite #2]
18.Long Live
Encore:
19.[Ours - solo acoustic - Nite #2]
20.Fifteen
21.Love Story
The setlist leans heavily on the new album, but that's okay. I love the new record. I doubt 'Haunted' and 'Enchanted' will be in the setlist for whatever tour Taylor does next, and the fact they are both huge production numbers with aerialists falling from the sky, three huge bells and dancers meant there was a lot going on, but, as always, all eyes were on Taylor.
While the new album is heavy on the ballads [Back to December, Dear John and Last Kiss, for example], the song Better Than Revenge was one moment when Taylor and her band rocked out. The image of background singer Liz, Caitlin and Taylor standing on a bridge center stage, headbanging and having a mock fight was one of my favorite moments of the show. And the extended guitar outro that followed [so Taylor could do another quick change] showcased how great her band is. Guitarists Paul Sidoti and Grant Mickelson traded riffs and solos that were so fast and furious, you forgot that Taylor was offstage for a second.
Now I must confess, when the song 'Speak Now' was being performed, I was a bit distracted. Having seen the show in DC in August, I knew that the end of the song was when Taylor would leave the stage and make her way through the crowd en route to the mini-stage at the back of the arena. On night one, I was sitting in the third seat from the left in my row on the far left side of the arena floor. I wasn't sure what path she would take, but I knew she'd be close. As the beginning of 'Speak Now' rang through the arena, security staff put up a long black rope alongside our aisle. That meant that yes, she was indeed going to make her way down the floor close by. We [the people in my row] made sure that a four year old girl was moved up to the aisle seat so she could at least get a good look. Taylor made her way to our row but she was facing the crowd to the left, sitting in the first row off the floor. No eye contact was made with our row, but she was less than five feet to my left. So close I could see the body glitter on her shoulders and arms. That was a very cool moment.
On nite two, I was sitting in the same row, but this time on the far right side of the arena...and this time I had an aisle seat! So, knowing how this worked, I knew that after Taylor sang three songs on the revolving mini-stage at the back of the arena, she would leave there and make her way back to the main stage, and thus pass our row. Well, not just our row, but pass me! Taylor sang her three songs and then the first verse of 'You Belong With Me' [Did I mention that's my favorite song by her?] and she then made her way down the floor, with security in front and behind. I stuck my hand out as she approached [so as not to get it swatted back by security before she arrived] and, as luck would have it, she turned away from the row directly to my right and quickly grabbed my hand and made eye contact before moving on.
"She just touched your hand!" screamed the woman beside me.
"Yeah...she did."
I knew it happened, but it happened so fast, literally a millisecond, that it didn't really register until a few seconds later. So, all of the waiting for this show, that was originally supposed to happen in July but was canceled because Taylor was ill, and the extra expense of booking another flight/hotel in Atlanta to see these shows in October...it was all made more than worth it by that one millisecond. It was very cool.
As noted in the setlists, each nite had a special guest. While Taylor has had guests join her onstage before, those appearances [by the likes of Katy Perry, Faith Hill and Justin Beiber] are usually reserved for cities like LA, NY or Nashville. Or so I thought. On nite one, after Taylor performed 'Dear John' she didn't run off for a scheduled costume change [a huge 'fairy tale gown' for Enchanted]. Instead she stood on one of the stars onstage and said 'Peace Up...A-Town Down!'
All of a sudden, the first four notes of 'Yeah' blared over the PA and then before the crowd knew what hit them, Usher was standing center stage, wearing camo and sunglasses. The place went nuts! And, to hear Taylor say the lyric she's 'a freak in the bed' ranked as one of the biggest surprises of the nite.
On nite two, I was looking for another special guest in the same spot of the show, but 'Enchanted' happened as scheduled with no interruption, followed by 'Haunted.' After Haunted ended [with Taylor being hidden by a large bell so she can sneak off for, you guessed it, another costume change], she popped up immediately after the bell lifted from the stage, announced 'We've got company tonite!' and sang the opening lines to 'Live Your Life' which were originally sung by Rihanna.
Then T.I. appeared onstage to rap. No lie, he had just been released from an Atlanta halfway house less than 72 hours before the appearance. Quite a way to announce you're back! [If you're curious, both surprise duets are available on YouTube, though they are videos shot from the audience and, as mentioned, the crowd goes nuts, so at times the audio is poor. But, they're still worth checking out.]
Lastly, the topper that surprised me more than the special guest was the addition on Sunday nite of the song 'Ours', which was included on the Target Deluxe Edition of the Speak Now CD. As a rule, if a song is a bonus track or a B-side, you're not gonna hear it live in concert, especially when an artist such as Taylor has so many hits to choose from to compile her setlist. As far as I know, she had only performed the song once before a week earlier in Kansas City for a football stadium sized crowd. That the song was included as a 'Thank you' from Taylor to her fans was a completely unexpected and wonderful surprise.
What's next for Taylor? Well, a live CD/DVD document of this tour hits stores November 21. And then, maybe another US leg gets added to the tour in late Spring 2012. Will the next tour be even bigger? Right now, I can't fathom how that's possible. Maybe she'll go the opposite route and present an Unplugged tour of smaller venues. Whatever is next, her audience of dedicated fans will follow her. And I promise you, if she appears anywhere close to where I am...or even far away enough where I have to fly to get there, I'll be there to see whatever it is she chooses to do next. After all, what better excuse for a road trip than to see Taylor Swift?
If you're a fan, you're already saving your money for that road trip!
--Barry
10.05.11
I heard that exact sentence three different times over the weekend as fans tried to explain the forthcoming event to the uninitiated. In just a little over two years, Taylor Swift has gone from country-pop darling to megastar, and her current tour is not just a concert or a show, it's an event that rivals those seen on Broadway or in Vegas. It's big, it's frenetic, and Taylor's thousands of screaming fans make sure that every night is loud. Very loud. Easily the loudest crowd I have had the pleasure to be a part of. The location of my seat may have had something to do with the volume.
These two shows in Atlanta were my second and third time seeing the Speak Now 2011 tour. If you follow my blog, then you know very well that I saw the Fearless Tour twice in 2010. These two shows in Atlanta were the first shows where I bought just a solo ticket for me when they went onsale, and that's how I ended up with some incredible floor seats. I'll get to just how incredible they were in a bit, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The first thing I noticed as soon as I got inside Phillips Arena was that Taylor's face was everywhere. Huge life size posters advertised Cover Girl [the tour's sponsor] seemingly every twenty feet around the concourse. At the merchandise tent where you could buy almost anything with Taylor's face on it, there was also a big screen showing Taylor videos [I stopped to watch the video for the song 'The Story of Us'. Watch it on YouTube if you haven't seen it. Just a few seconds in and you'll know why I stopped.]. Yes, wherever Taylor's likeness was found, there was a crowd gathered in excitement; ready to make this a very memorable night for themselves and for the artist.
As I made my way back from the merch tent with new t-shirt in hand, I stopped by Guest Services to inquire about an elevator ride down to the floor. The staff was great and led me to the freight elevator which landed me 'behind the scenes' so to speak. I wasn't backstage, but I did see a group of about twenty fans who had 'T-Party' passes getting the lecture from the tour coordinator on how the pre-show meet and greet with Taylor would work. Looking at one girl's face, maybe ten years old, she was so excited she looked as if she was going to burst. Would I have liked a backstage pass? Sure. But I wasn't bummed or jealous one bit, because the experience is multiplied exponentially the younger the fan is, so that these fans were about to meet someone they admire more than almost any authority figure, I shared their excitement as I nodded to the tour coordinator and made my way to my seat.
"Drop Everything Now!"
If forced to pick one favorite song from Taylor's last two albums, I would choose 'You Belong With Me' from the Fearless album and 'Sparks Fly' from Speak Now. I mention this only because for each of the last two tours, my favorite songs have been the show opener. Not that I don't like or love the other songs. I love them all, but that 'Sparks Fly' was the opener of the evening meant things were going to be off to a fantastic start.
After a brief video message, Taylor rose from under the stage, surrounded by smoke and looking regal in a long gold gown that sparkled and caught light with every step she took. Fireworks in the middle of song one told me this was a bigger show than the Fearless tour, but this was just the beginning.
Having never been to Phillips Arena before, I wondered what the sound was going to be like. Would it be as bad and echo-drenched as Washington, DC's Verizon Center, or as clear and crisp as John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville? While maybe not as crisp and intimate as JPJ, the sound at Phillips was stellar for an arena of that size [14,000+]. Not a lyric was lost except when the screams overwhelmed the PA and literally shook the stage.
After costume change #1 two songs in, Taylor, playing the banjo, and her fiddle player Caitlin Evanson played the opening notes of 'Our Song', the lone representative from Taylor's debut album, and that segued nicely into 'Mean', with the band dressed in the same outfits they wore in the video. Each song in the set was a sing along, because all of Taylor's fans know all the words to all of her songs. Experiencing that aspect of the show from the floor was wonderful and something I will never forget.
That's the thing about Taylor Swift. If you are a fan of her music, then you get it, you love her and you don't care what anyone else thinks. If you're not a fan, then there really is no point in me trying to explain it. You don't get it and you probably never will. For the 28,000 who 'got it', this weekend was one they won't soon forget.
Now, the setlists. Most of the set was the same both nights, but each night had some surprises. The bracketed songs are departures from the scheduled set, and the night they occurred is noted beside the song title:
1.Sparks Fly
2.Mine
3.Story of Us
4.Our Song
5.Mean
6.Back to December / Apologize /You're Not Sorry
7.Better Than Revenge
8.Speak Now
9.Fearless (Acoustic on ukulele)
10.Last Kiss (acoustic)
11.Baby Girl [Sugarland cover] (acoustic)
12. You Belong With Me
13.Dear John
14.[Yeah! with special guest Usher - Nite #1]
15.Enchanted
16.Haunted
17.[Live Your Life with special guest TI - Nite #2]
18.Long Live
Encore:
19.[Ours - solo acoustic - Nite #2]
20.Fifteen
21.Love Story
The setlist leans heavily on the new album, but that's okay. I love the new record. I doubt 'Haunted' and 'Enchanted' will be in the setlist for whatever tour Taylor does next, and the fact they are both huge production numbers with aerialists falling from the sky, three huge bells and dancers meant there was a lot going on, but, as always, all eyes were on Taylor.
While the new album is heavy on the ballads [Back to December, Dear John and Last Kiss, for example], the song Better Than Revenge was one moment when Taylor and her band rocked out. The image of background singer Liz, Caitlin and Taylor standing on a bridge center stage, headbanging and having a mock fight was one of my favorite moments of the show. And the extended guitar outro that followed [so Taylor could do another quick change] showcased how great her band is. Guitarists Paul Sidoti and Grant Mickelson traded riffs and solos that were so fast and furious, you forgot that Taylor was offstage for a second.
Now I must confess, when the song 'Speak Now' was being performed, I was a bit distracted. Having seen the show in DC in August, I knew that the end of the song was when Taylor would leave the stage and make her way through the crowd en route to the mini-stage at the back of the arena. On night one, I was sitting in the third seat from the left in my row on the far left side of the arena floor. I wasn't sure what path she would take, but I knew she'd be close. As the beginning of 'Speak Now' rang through the arena, security staff put up a long black rope alongside our aisle. That meant that yes, she was indeed going to make her way down the floor close by. We [the people in my row] made sure that a four year old girl was moved up to the aisle seat so she could at least get a good look. Taylor made her way to our row but she was facing the crowd to the left, sitting in the first row off the floor. No eye contact was made with our row, but she was less than five feet to my left. So close I could see the body glitter on her shoulders and arms. That was a very cool moment.
On nite two, I was sitting in the same row, but this time on the far right side of the arena...and this time I had an aisle seat! So, knowing how this worked, I knew that after Taylor sang three songs on the revolving mini-stage at the back of the arena, she would leave there and make her way back to the main stage, and thus pass our row. Well, not just our row, but pass me! Taylor sang her three songs and then the first verse of 'You Belong With Me' [Did I mention that's my favorite song by her?] and she then made her way down the floor, with security in front and behind. I stuck my hand out as she approached [so as not to get it swatted back by security before she arrived] and, as luck would have it, she turned away from the row directly to my right and quickly grabbed my hand and made eye contact before moving on.
"She just touched your hand!" screamed the woman beside me.
"Yeah...she did."
I knew it happened, but it happened so fast, literally a millisecond, that it didn't really register until a few seconds later. So, all of the waiting for this show, that was originally supposed to happen in July but was canceled because Taylor was ill, and the extra expense of booking another flight/hotel in Atlanta to see these shows in October...it was all made more than worth it by that one millisecond. It was very cool.
As noted in the setlists, each nite had a special guest. While Taylor has had guests join her onstage before, those appearances [by the likes of Katy Perry, Faith Hill and Justin Beiber] are usually reserved for cities like LA, NY or Nashville. Or so I thought. On nite one, after Taylor performed 'Dear John' she didn't run off for a scheduled costume change [a huge 'fairy tale gown' for Enchanted]. Instead she stood on one of the stars onstage and said 'Peace Up...A-Town Down!'
All of a sudden, the first four notes of 'Yeah' blared over the PA and then before the crowd knew what hit them, Usher was standing center stage, wearing camo and sunglasses. The place went nuts! And, to hear Taylor say the lyric she's 'a freak in the bed' ranked as one of the biggest surprises of the nite.
On nite two, I was looking for another special guest in the same spot of the show, but 'Enchanted' happened as scheduled with no interruption, followed by 'Haunted.' After Haunted ended [with Taylor being hidden by a large bell so she can sneak off for, you guessed it, another costume change], she popped up immediately after the bell lifted from the stage, announced 'We've got company tonite!' and sang the opening lines to 'Live Your Life' which were originally sung by Rihanna.
Then T.I. appeared onstage to rap. No lie, he had just been released from an Atlanta halfway house less than 72 hours before the appearance. Quite a way to announce you're back! [If you're curious, both surprise duets are available on YouTube, though they are videos shot from the audience and, as mentioned, the crowd goes nuts, so at times the audio is poor. But, they're still worth checking out.]
Lastly, the topper that surprised me more than the special guest was the addition on Sunday nite of the song 'Ours', which was included on the Target Deluxe Edition of the Speak Now CD. As a rule, if a song is a bonus track or a B-side, you're not gonna hear it live in concert, especially when an artist such as Taylor has so many hits to choose from to compile her setlist. As far as I know, she had only performed the song once before a week earlier in Kansas City for a football stadium sized crowd. That the song was included as a 'Thank you' from Taylor to her fans was a completely unexpected and wonderful surprise.
What's next for Taylor? Well, a live CD/DVD document of this tour hits stores November 21. And then, maybe another US leg gets added to the tour in late Spring 2012. Will the next tour be even bigger? Right now, I can't fathom how that's possible. Maybe she'll go the opposite route and present an Unplugged tour of smaller venues. Whatever is next, her audience of dedicated fans will follow her. And I promise you, if she appears anywhere close to where I am...or even far away enough where I have to fly to get there, I'll be there to see whatever it is she chooses to do next. After all, what better excuse for a road trip than to see Taylor Swift?
If you're a fan, you're already saving your money for that road trip!
--Barry
10.05.11
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Elvis Costello + The Impostors - Warner Theatre 09.29.11
Elvis and friends were scheduled to play Richmond, VA this summer. Originally scheduled for July 20, that show was postponed. The venue was Innsbrook, which is an outdoor festival type setting, next to an office park. The rescheduled date of August 1 was canceled and no makeup date was planned. While I was initially bummed about the cancelation, I immediately set forth a plan to see this tour in Washington, DC.
This tour is called The Revolver Tour, because onstage is a huge wheel with songs from every period of Elvis' 34+ year catalog. Periodically throughout the show, audience members are invited onstage to give the wheel a spin. Whatever song comes up, unless it is a repeat of one that has already been played, is then included in the set; sometimes immediately, sometimes the song is held until later, but every song that comes up on the wheel is heard that nite.
I was supposed see the Richmond show with my friend Dana. When I told her about the show in DC, she was game and willing to drive, so she finally got to see her first Elvis Costello show. We walked into the orchestra seating of the Warner Theatre (which is about one-third the size of the Richmond Mosque/Landmark Theatre) and saw the wheel. Our seats were stage right about twelve rows back. Dana started reading song titles on the wheel:
"'Bedlam', Pump It Up'...'You Little Fool.'"
"'You Little Fool'? Really?" I said as I sat up in my seat. "Oh man, if he plays "You Little Fool" I'll just...wow that would be awesome!"
I said this knowing that there was a one in about one-hundred and fifty chance of the wheel landing on the sliver that had that song title listed, so, as excited as I was at the prospect, I wasn't holding my breath. Plus i knew that no matter what songs were played, it would be a one-of-a-kind show and setlist. Here is said setlist, from the site setlist.fm:
Lipstick Vogue
Watching the Detectives
So Like Candy (SPIN 1)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstand
Other End Of The Telescope (SPIN 2)
My All Time Doll
Strict Time
Man Out Of Time
Next Time 'Round
Out of Time (The Rolling Stones cover)
Cry, Cry, Cry
(Johnny Cash cover) ("Cash" - SPIN 5)
I Still Miss Someone
Town Cryer (SPIN 6)
You Little Fool (SPIN 7)
Pump It Up (The Hammer Of Songs - Songs Of Sneer)
Heart of the City (Nick Lowe cover)
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
I Want You (SPIN 3 held earlier)
All These Strangers
(EC solo next 3 songs)
A Slow Drag With Josephine
Bullets For The New-Born King
Sleep of the Just
Welcome to the Working Week
No Action
Uncomplicated
Beyond Belief (SPIN 8)
New Lace Sleeves (SPIN 9)
National Ransom
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Along with The Wheel, the stage also included the Hammer of Songs, which led to the fan's choice. She wanted to hear "Pump It Up", so a song I thought for certain would be an encore was now in the middle of the set. Fans who appeared onstage had the option of sitting in the Society Lounge while their song was played, or if they were more adventurous, they could dance in the Go Go Cage (Yeah, that's exactly what you think it is).
Some personal highlights:
Elvis opened with "Lipstick Vogue" instead of my all-time favorite Elvis song, "I Hope You're Happy Now" and, as much as it would have ruled to hear that, I was transfixed watching drummer Pete Thomas play the intro to "Lipstick Vogue". He's now completely grey on top, but he's still got killer chops and didn't miss a beat all nite.
"So Like Candy" - A favorite of mime that I didn't expect to hear live, and because it was spun on the wheel, it appeared very early in the set.
"Man Out Of Time" - One spin brought up the word "Time" so the next few songs included the word "Time" in the title. After asking for suggestions, most of the crowd, this blog writer included, screamed out "Man Out Of Time". Some of the best lyrics in the entire Costello catalog are in that song, so it was great to hear that live.
"Welcome To The Working Week" and "No Action" - These songs back to back had the crowd on their feet for the rest of the show. I didn't think it was possible to play "Working Week" faster than the album version, which is only two minutes long, but Elvis and his band tore through this song so fast that it left me exhausted. "No Action" refueled my adrenaline because, well, really anything from THIS YEAR'S MODEL is a winner.
"You Little Fool" -See above. Hearing this made my nite.
Had they played the Innsbrook show, it would have just been a setlist with no wheel or audience participation. While I am sure I would have had a blast, Thursday's show was unforgettable for many reasons. I was so lucky to get the chance to see it, and to see it with fellow Elvis fan Dana was a great added bonus. I already know there won't ever be another show quite like that one, which is a rare thing to savor.
--Barry
10.01.11
This tour is called The Revolver Tour, because onstage is a huge wheel with songs from every period of Elvis' 34+ year catalog. Periodically throughout the show, audience members are invited onstage to give the wheel a spin. Whatever song comes up, unless it is a repeat of one that has already been played, is then included in the set; sometimes immediately, sometimes the song is held until later, but every song that comes up on the wheel is heard that nite.
I was supposed see the Richmond show with my friend Dana. When I told her about the show in DC, she was game and willing to drive, so she finally got to see her first Elvis Costello show. We walked into the orchestra seating of the Warner Theatre (which is about one-third the size of the Richmond Mosque/Landmark Theatre) and saw the wheel. Our seats were stage right about twelve rows back. Dana started reading song titles on the wheel:
"'Bedlam', Pump It Up'...'You Little Fool.'"
"'You Little Fool'? Really?" I said as I sat up in my seat. "Oh man, if he plays "You Little Fool" I'll just...wow that would be awesome!"
I said this knowing that there was a one in about one-hundred and fifty chance of the wheel landing on the sliver that had that song title listed, so, as excited as I was at the prospect, I wasn't holding my breath. Plus i knew that no matter what songs were played, it would be a one-of-a-kind show and setlist. Here is said setlist, from the site setlist.fm:
Lipstick Vogue
Watching the Detectives
So Like Candy (SPIN 1)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstand
Other End Of The Telescope (SPIN 2)
My All Time Doll
Strict Time
Man Out Of Time
Next Time 'Round
Out of Time (The Rolling Stones cover)
Cry, Cry, Cry
(Johnny Cash cover) ("Cash" - SPIN 5)
I Still Miss Someone
Town Cryer (SPIN 6)
You Little Fool (SPIN 7)
Pump It Up (The Hammer Of Songs - Songs Of Sneer)
Heart of the City (Nick Lowe cover)
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
I Want You (SPIN 3 held earlier)
All These Strangers
(EC solo next 3 songs)
A Slow Drag With Josephine
Bullets For The New-Born King
Sleep of the Just
Welcome to the Working Week
No Action
Uncomplicated
Beyond Belief (SPIN 8)
New Lace Sleeves (SPIN 9)
National Ransom
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding
Along with The Wheel, the stage also included the Hammer of Songs, which led to the fan's choice. She wanted to hear "Pump It Up", so a song I thought for certain would be an encore was now in the middle of the set. Fans who appeared onstage had the option of sitting in the Society Lounge while their song was played, or if they were more adventurous, they could dance in the Go Go Cage (Yeah, that's exactly what you think it is).
Some personal highlights:
Elvis opened with "Lipstick Vogue" instead of my all-time favorite Elvis song, "I Hope You're Happy Now" and, as much as it would have ruled to hear that, I was transfixed watching drummer Pete Thomas play the intro to "Lipstick Vogue". He's now completely grey on top, but he's still got killer chops and didn't miss a beat all nite.
"So Like Candy" - A favorite of mime that I didn't expect to hear live, and because it was spun on the wheel, it appeared very early in the set.
"Man Out Of Time" - One spin brought up the word "Time" so the next few songs included the word "Time" in the title. After asking for suggestions, most of the crowd, this blog writer included, screamed out "Man Out Of Time". Some of the best lyrics in the entire Costello catalog are in that song, so it was great to hear that live.
"Welcome To The Working Week" and "No Action" - These songs back to back had the crowd on their feet for the rest of the show. I didn't think it was possible to play "Working Week" faster than the album version, which is only two minutes long, but Elvis and his band tore through this song so fast that it left me exhausted. "No Action" refueled my adrenaline because, well, really anything from THIS YEAR'S MODEL is a winner.
"You Little Fool" -See above. Hearing this made my nite.
Had they played the Innsbrook show, it would have just been a setlist with no wheel or audience participation. While I am sure I would have had a blast, Thursday's show was unforgettable for many reasons. I was so lucky to get the chance to see it, and to see it with fellow Elvis fan Dana was a great added bonus. I already know there won't ever be another show quite like that one, which is a rare thing to savor.
--Barry
10.01.11
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Everything happens when I'm outta town!
The last time I flew somewhere, it was to Atlanta in July. The week I was there, my mom got fired from her job of eighteen years and my brother got engaged.
Today, I was in the air en route to Cincinnati for a work conference when "The Earthquake" hit. It was when I landed that a fellow passenger relayed the news to her flying companions. And here is an eerie side note from my personal experience.
I arrived at the airport with an hour to spare before my flight. For some reason, this was not a good day to go thru the TSA Security Checkpoint. I got the full "take off your braces, give me your shoe, we have to re-test the canes" treatment. It took about 30 minutes. Once that was over, I had about 25 minutes to get to my gate. As I arrived, after buying a soda and a candy bar, the gate attendant said over the mic that the "pilots would like to leave early so I didn't even sit down at the gate, I walked straight to the attendant and boarded.
My flight was scheduled to leave at 1:47. We were off the ground and in tne air by 1:40. According to NBC News the quake hit at 1;52. I find it a bit eerie that, had DELTA been running on time or late (and let's face it, DELTA usually runs late), I probably would have been inside a very small plane (12 rows of seats...and guess who was in row 12?) on the Tarmac when the quake hit.
While part of me is a bit bummed I missed the first "Big Quake" to hit VA in 114 years, I'm relieved I was in the air, oblivious to everything when it happened.
I hope everyone is okay and no one was hurt or had major damage. Bonus: Richmond's "The Diamond" baseball stadium was shown on Cincinnati's local NBC affiliate. Bet that's a first!
I hope the aftershocks are few and barely noticeable. I'm in my hotel room, happy I managed to get out of town before all of the flights got pushed back.
My next trip out of Richmond is to Atlanta in October. I wonder what's gonna happen then?
Thanks for reading,
Barry
Today, I was in the air en route to Cincinnati for a work conference when "The Earthquake" hit. It was when I landed that a fellow passenger relayed the news to her flying companions. And here is an eerie side note from my personal experience.
I arrived at the airport with an hour to spare before my flight. For some reason, this was not a good day to go thru the TSA Security Checkpoint. I got the full "take off your braces, give me your shoe, we have to re-test the canes" treatment. It took about 30 minutes. Once that was over, I had about 25 minutes to get to my gate. As I arrived, after buying a soda and a candy bar, the gate attendant said over the mic that the "pilots would like to leave early so I didn't even sit down at the gate, I walked straight to the attendant and boarded.
My flight was scheduled to leave at 1:47. We were off the ground and in tne air by 1:40. According to NBC News the quake hit at 1;52. I find it a bit eerie that, had DELTA been running on time or late (and let's face it, DELTA usually runs late), I probably would have been inside a very small plane (12 rows of seats...and guess who was in row 12?) on the Tarmac when the quake hit.
While part of me is a bit bummed I missed the first "Big Quake" to hit VA in 114 years, I'm relieved I was in the air, oblivious to everything when it happened.
I hope everyone is okay and no one was hurt or had major damage. Bonus: Richmond's "The Diamond" baseball stadium was shown on Cincinnati's local NBC affiliate. Bet that's a first!
I hope the aftershocks are few and barely noticeable. I'm in my hotel room, happy I managed to get out of town before all of the flights got pushed back.
My next trip out of Richmond is to Atlanta in October. I wonder what's gonna happen then?
Thanks for reading,
Barry
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Dreams
As a rule, most of us don't recall the dreams we have when we wake up to start our day. Oh, you may recall a brief snippet as you stir and reach for the alarm, but by the time you see your face in the bathroom mirror, almost all is forgotten, and you go about your routine.
This is something different.
Between 2:00 and 4:00am on Friday, I had a dream that was so vivid and lifelike that I remembered all of it in minute detail. I felt like I had lived the experience, so much so that when I awoke from it, I felt a stark sense of loss.
The images and dialogue were swimming around in my head to the point of distraction all day Friday. I knew I was going to write something about it, but I wasn't exactly sure what form it was going to take. I don't write fiction very well. It always comes off sounding a bit forced. So, what I've decided to post here is the dream as I recall it. I probably will revisit this and flesh it out a bit, creating a back story of sorts, but I thought I would share what has rolled around in my head for the last 36 hours.
____________________________
"Remember Angie Dutton"
The weather is late Fall/early Winter. The reason I know this is because I can see my breath as I walk. It's still daylight but getting dark quickly.
I enter a huge farmhouse. It is drafty and cold. I'm supposed to be here but I don't know why. The farm house is divided into many rather large rooms, and I make my way inside and sit down in the first room. It has two small couches and three tall wooden chairs. I sit on one of the couches and close my eyes.
Not sure how much time has passed, I'm awakened by the noise of kids laughing and running into the room. Two kids, maybe ages 6 and 8, are scooped up by a woman now sitting across from me, on the other couch. She kisses each of them on the cheek and they go to what appears to be a front desk.
Where am I? Is this a hotel of some sort? Am I simply waiting fir someone to arrive?
I only hear snippets of the conversation at the front desk, but I do manage to discern the phrase "...glad the visit went well!" From that, I gather I'm at a doctor's office, but I still don't know why.
I leave the front entrance room that had the couches, and, after walking a bit, find a kitchen. I pour a cup of coffee into a mug waiting on the counter. I make a point of drinking deeply from the mug and clasping both hands around it for warmth. I let the heat envelope my face and I close my eyes for a moment.
I open them and see...her. I don't know who 'she' is yet, but, instinctively, I am drawn to her. Is 'she' the reason I'm here, the one I'm waiting for?
First impressions: she's a thin, tall brunette with streaks of red in her hair that only appear when the blinking fluorescent lights of the farmhouse hit it a certain way. She's obviously been running errands for a while because, even though night has descended, she has a pair of big-framed sunglasses resting on the top of her head. Wearing dark blue jeans, a black leather jacket unzipped to reveal a black tank top.
And then there were the tattoos.
As she entered the farmhouse, I could see from my vantage point in the kitchen that she had several tattoos. She had three green snakes, one starting on her left shoulder that ran to just below her left clavicle, then another snake tattoo began there where the first ended, this one going from her left clavicle to her center, just below her neck. The third snake began at this point and ran over to her right clavicle, ending on the back of her right shoulder, mirroring the left so that when you saw her from the front, it appeared as if she were wearing a necklace around her neck.
In the center of her chest, below the snake tattoo, right on her sternum, she had the tattoo of the bloom of a dark red rose, its stem showed two thorns before it disappeared into her cleavage.
As she entered, she was talking loudly, seemingly to herself, in fragments.
"I would never! No...I would NOT!"
This goes on as she walks directly to the kitchen. The counter is L-shaped, the long side of the L has the sink, coffee pot and microwave. That's where I'm standing as she walks past and turns to lean on the short side of the counter (which is empty and clear of any appliances of any sort) to face me.
"I would never let my kid do that!" she says to me, indignantly. I don't even know what "that" is, but I answer her.
"Wait, do you even have a kid?"
She laughs and uses her hands to lift herself onto the counter. "No, but still, I wouldn't let my kid do that."
Now we are face to face with very little room between us. I am locked on her deep fiery brown eyes as I answer her again.
"And, your many tattoos show that you always did what your parents wanted and ALWAYS respected authority?"
She doesn't voice an answer. Instead she wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me in even closer. It's at this moment that I notice she's not wearing any makeup, yet she's still gorgeous. She kisses me on my neck, and in a suddenly quiet voice she almost whispers, "Remember me." It wasn't a question, asking "Hey, do you remember me?" This was a plea.
She lifts her head off my shoulder and we face one another again. "What's your name?" I whisper.
"I'm Angie." She kisses me on the left cheek. "Angie Dutton." She kisses me on my right cheek. "Remember me," she says, almost near tears. We share a deep long kiss. I wrap my arms around her in a hug. I then spin her around slowly, all the while transfixed on her eyes, so that our views are reversed. I'm standing with my back to the counter And she's where I was a moment ago.
"Remember me", she says one last time before she unwraps herself from me. She looks at me for a moment longer, then turns to go.
"WAIT! Don't go!" Stammering, I try to make my point, all the while watching her back as she is leaving. "I'll remember you, I swear. But I want to know more. You're the reason I'm here....wherever 'here' is! STOP!"
She stops walking toward the door.
"Just turn around. Let me see your face one more time," I ask, my voice almost breaking.
She turns around and looks at me without saying a word. She flashes me a smile then takes the sunglasses from atop her head. She puts them on and blows me a dramatic kiss before stepping out into the pitch black night.
I stand there, stunned for a moment. Then I run for the door. I make my way outside and the cold knocks me back. I can't see anything. She's gone. There's no car, no sound of her boots on the frozen ground. She's disappeared.
Was she an apparition? Was she a twisted tattooed angel? I'll probably never know.
But I'll always remember Angie Dutton.
___________________________
[Story is almost completely from a dream I had early on Friday 05.13.11. Text was transcribed early in the morning on 05.14.11. This post was written using iPad, with final edits done using my PC before posting.]
Thanks for reading,
--Barry
This is something different.
Between 2:00 and 4:00am on Friday, I had a dream that was so vivid and lifelike that I remembered all of it in minute detail. I felt like I had lived the experience, so much so that when I awoke from it, I felt a stark sense of loss.
The images and dialogue were swimming around in my head to the point of distraction all day Friday. I knew I was going to write something about it, but I wasn't exactly sure what form it was going to take. I don't write fiction very well. It always comes off sounding a bit forced. So, what I've decided to post here is the dream as I recall it. I probably will revisit this and flesh it out a bit, creating a back story of sorts, but I thought I would share what has rolled around in my head for the last 36 hours.
____________________________
"Remember Angie Dutton"
The weather is late Fall/early Winter. The reason I know this is because I can see my breath as I walk. It's still daylight but getting dark quickly.
I enter a huge farmhouse. It is drafty and cold. I'm supposed to be here but I don't know why. The farm house is divided into many rather large rooms, and I make my way inside and sit down in the first room. It has two small couches and three tall wooden chairs. I sit on one of the couches and close my eyes.
Not sure how much time has passed, I'm awakened by the noise of kids laughing and running into the room. Two kids, maybe ages 6 and 8, are scooped up by a woman now sitting across from me, on the other couch. She kisses each of them on the cheek and they go to what appears to be a front desk.
Where am I? Is this a hotel of some sort? Am I simply waiting fir someone to arrive?
I only hear snippets of the conversation at the front desk, but I do manage to discern the phrase "...glad the visit went well!" From that, I gather I'm at a doctor's office, but I still don't know why.
I leave the front entrance room that had the couches, and, after walking a bit, find a kitchen. I pour a cup of coffee into a mug waiting on the counter. I make a point of drinking deeply from the mug and clasping both hands around it for warmth. I let the heat envelope my face and I close my eyes for a moment.
I open them and see...her. I don't know who 'she' is yet, but, instinctively, I am drawn to her. Is 'she' the reason I'm here, the one I'm waiting for?
First impressions: she's a thin, tall brunette with streaks of red in her hair that only appear when the blinking fluorescent lights of the farmhouse hit it a certain way. She's obviously been running errands for a while because, even though night has descended, she has a pair of big-framed sunglasses resting on the top of her head. Wearing dark blue jeans, a black leather jacket unzipped to reveal a black tank top.
And then there were the tattoos.
As she entered the farmhouse, I could see from my vantage point in the kitchen that she had several tattoos. She had three green snakes, one starting on her left shoulder that ran to just below her left clavicle, then another snake tattoo began there where the first ended, this one going from her left clavicle to her center, just below her neck. The third snake began at this point and ran over to her right clavicle, ending on the back of her right shoulder, mirroring the left so that when you saw her from the front, it appeared as if she were wearing a necklace around her neck.
In the center of her chest, below the snake tattoo, right on her sternum, she had the tattoo of the bloom of a dark red rose, its stem showed two thorns before it disappeared into her cleavage.
As she entered, she was talking loudly, seemingly to herself, in fragments.
"I would never! No...I would NOT!"
This goes on as she walks directly to the kitchen. The counter is L-shaped, the long side of the L has the sink, coffee pot and microwave. That's where I'm standing as she walks past and turns to lean on the short side of the counter (which is empty and clear of any appliances of any sort) to face me.
"I would never let my kid do that!" she says to me, indignantly. I don't even know what "that" is, but I answer her.
"Wait, do you even have a kid?"
She laughs and uses her hands to lift herself onto the counter. "No, but still, I wouldn't let my kid do that."
Now we are face to face with very little room between us. I am locked on her deep fiery brown eyes as I answer her again.
"And, your many tattoos show that you always did what your parents wanted and ALWAYS respected authority?"
She doesn't voice an answer. Instead she wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me in even closer. It's at this moment that I notice she's not wearing any makeup, yet she's still gorgeous. She kisses me on my neck, and in a suddenly quiet voice she almost whispers, "Remember me." It wasn't a question, asking "Hey, do you remember me?" This was a plea.
She lifts her head off my shoulder and we face one another again. "What's your name?" I whisper.
"I'm Angie." She kisses me on the left cheek. "Angie Dutton." She kisses me on my right cheek. "Remember me," she says, almost near tears. We share a deep long kiss. I wrap my arms around her in a hug. I then spin her around slowly, all the while transfixed on her eyes, so that our views are reversed. I'm standing with my back to the counter And she's where I was a moment ago.
"Remember me", she says one last time before she unwraps herself from me. She looks at me for a moment longer, then turns to go.
"WAIT! Don't go!" Stammering, I try to make my point, all the while watching her back as she is leaving. "I'll remember you, I swear. But I want to know more. You're the reason I'm here....wherever 'here' is! STOP!"
She stops walking toward the door.
"Just turn around. Let me see your face one more time," I ask, my voice almost breaking.
She turns around and looks at me without saying a word. She flashes me a smile then takes the sunglasses from atop her head. She puts them on and blows me a dramatic kiss before stepping out into the pitch black night.
I stand there, stunned for a moment. Then I run for the door. I make my way outside and the cold knocks me back. I can't see anything. She's gone. There's no car, no sound of her boots on the frozen ground. She's disappeared.
Was she an apparition? Was she a twisted tattooed angel? I'll probably never know.
But I'll always remember Angie Dutton.
___________________________
[Story is almost completely from a dream I had early on Friday 05.13.11. Text was transcribed early in the morning on 05.14.11. This post was written using iPad, with final edits done using my PC before posting.]
Thanks for reading,
--Barry
Monday, May 2, 2011
Remembering Mr. Heisler
The first thing I noticed about Mister Heisler, or as I always knew him, Kurt's dad, was his booming voice. When he laughed, he truly filled the room. He had a strong presence and reminded me of Bill Kurtis, who was a host of many TV programs on A&E.
Kurt was one of Mister Heisler's sons. More importantly, Kurt became one of my very closest friends during my senior year in high school (1992). The two of us were part of a group that we dubbed The Hearts Club, which also included high school pals Tony and Patrick. Sometimes Jenne, Becca and Kim would join in the fun, but more often than not, it was simply the four of us.
One night in the summer of 1993, The Hearts Club gathered for a very special evening, even if none of us knew it at the time. Whereas most nights when we arrived at the Heisler house, we would exchange hellos and small talk with Kurt's parents, on this night, The Hearts Club would have a new honorary member.
I'm not sure who had the idea of asking Kurt's dad William to sit in on our card game. It may have been his wife, Dotty, it may have even been Kurt. I do remember that it didn't take much convincing for us to deal in a fifth player. Before the game however, we were treated to a host of card tricks and sleight of hand, with Mr. Heisler holding court, having fun showing tricks to Kurt's friends, even though I guessed that Kurt had seen these over and over again for years.
Most memorably though, Mr. Heisler laughed loudly and heartily.
The game was fun and I remember all of us having a good time. I don't recall who actually won at hearts that nite, only that it wasn't me (I hardly ever won). That's unimportant though. As we left Kurt's house that night, everyone said "we must do this again sometime".
But we never did.
I only knew William Heisler in the snippets of daily life that Kurt would share when we hung out all the time, and from that one might around a card table. Not surprisingly though, he made a lasting impression on me that I never forgot.
So long Mr.Heisler. You will be missed and remembered by many.
If you wish, make a donation to the American Cancer Society in memory of William Heisler.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
Kurt was one of Mister Heisler's sons. More importantly, Kurt became one of my very closest friends during my senior year in high school (1992). The two of us were part of a group that we dubbed The Hearts Club, which also included high school pals Tony and Patrick. Sometimes Jenne, Becca and Kim would join in the fun, but more often than not, it was simply the four of us.
One night in the summer of 1993, The Hearts Club gathered for a very special evening, even if none of us knew it at the time. Whereas most nights when we arrived at the Heisler house, we would exchange hellos and small talk with Kurt's parents, on this night, The Hearts Club would have a new honorary member.
I'm not sure who had the idea of asking Kurt's dad William to sit in on our card game. It may have been his wife, Dotty, it may have even been Kurt. I do remember that it didn't take much convincing for us to deal in a fifth player. Before the game however, we were treated to a host of card tricks and sleight of hand, with Mr. Heisler holding court, having fun showing tricks to Kurt's friends, even though I guessed that Kurt had seen these over and over again for years.
Most memorably though, Mr. Heisler laughed loudly and heartily.
The game was fun and I remember all of us having a good time. I don't recall who actually won at hearts that nite, only that it wasn't me (I hardly ever won). That's unimportant though. As we left Kurt's house that night, everyone said "we must do this again sometime".
But we never did.
I only knew William Heisler in the snippets of daily life that Kurt would share when we hung out all the time, and from that one might around a card table. Not surprisingly though, he made a lasting impression on me that I never forgot.
So long Mr.Heisler. You will be missed and remembered by many.
If you wish, make a donation to the American Cancer Society in memory of William Heisler.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Theatre Review: Stellar Cast turns 'Something Intangible' Into Something Memorable
Now playing at Richmond's Firehouse Theatre is Bruce Graham's 'Something Intangible' the somewhat fictionalized telling of the Disney brother's life story. Instead of Mickey Mouse, there's Petey Pup. Instead of 'Fantasia', here we have 'Grandioso', and instead of Walt and Roy Disney, we have Tony and Dale Winston. Tony is almost maniacal in his wish to just 'get it right', no matter if it means going thousands of dollars over budget and weeks past a deadline. Dale, the older brother and the 'dime a dozen account', wants to help his brother achieve his artistic dreams, he just wishes it could be done on budget.
The brother's differences are clearly defined. Tony [Adrian Rieder] is almost like a pinball onstage, bouncing around his small office, climbing tables and chairs, doing whatever it takes to express the vision that he sees in his head, struggling to prove to his cautious brother that he has an idea for a full length film that will give him the respect he so craves and needs.
Billy Christopher Maupin, as Dale, gives one of the most subtle, understated and wondrous performances I have seen in quite a while. He says more with an aching look or a heavy sigh than some actors say with a two page monologue.
If an achingly subtle performance isn't enough to pique your interest in this production, fear not. There are plenty of laughs. Frank Creasy appears in a dual role, one being the studio exec who must approve the financing for Tony's crazy film that has classical music and almost no dialogue, Creasy's other role as the gregarious Austrian conductor Meyerhoff is the real crowd pleaser though. Meyerhoff dominates the second act and provides much needed comic relief before things get overwrought or too dark.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Lauren Leinhaas-Cook as Sonia, Dale's analyst, a movie lover who dares Dale to admit how he really feels about his brother. Jay Welch plays Leo, an up and coming animator on Tony's staff. Tony berates Leo at almost every turn, painting the genius in a none too flattering light.
My one quibble with this play is with the script. It's obvious that this is about Disney, but, where is the line drawn between fact and fiction? I wish the story delved a bit deeper and dealt with some of the darker tendencies that drove Disney. That would have been a very intriguing path to send these characters down, but the script only hints at those topics slightly, and then it quickly moves on to the next laugh.
The script leaves a bit to be desired, but the cast are the reason to see this production during this final weekend. Maupin proves that less can be oh so much more, and Creasy's Meyerhoff proves that more can be just right.
_______________
Something Intangible, directed by Bill Patton. At The Firehouse Theatre Thursday April 14 thru Saturday April 16. Ticket info here.
--Barry
04.11.11
The brother's differences are clearly defined. Tony [Adrian Rieder] is almost like a pinball onstage, bouncing around his small office, climbing tables and chairs, doing whatever it takes to express the vision that he sees in his head, struggling to prove to his cautious brother that he has an idea for a full length film that will give him the respect he so craves and needs.
Billy Christopher Maupin, as Dale, gives one of the most subtle, understated and wondrous performances I have seen in quite a while. He says more with an aching look or a heavy sigh than some actors say with a two page monologue.
If an achingly subtle performance isn't enough to pique your interest in this production, fear not. There are plenty of laughs. Frank Creasy appears in a dual role, one being the studio exec who must approve the financing for Tony's crazy film that has classical music and almost no dialogue, Creasy's other role as the gregarious Austrian conductor Meyerhoff is the real crowd pleaser though. Meyerhoff dominates the second act and provides much needed comic relief before things get overwrought or too dark.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Lauren Leinhaas-Cook as Sonia, Dale's analyst, a movie lover who dares Dale to admit how he really feels about his brother. Jay Welch plays Leo, an up and coming animator on Tony's staff. Tony berates Leo at almost every turn, painting the genius in a none too flattering light.
My one quibble with this play is with the script. It's obvious that this is about Disney, but, where is the line drawn between fact and fiction? I wish the story delved a bit deeper and dealt with some of the darker tendencies that drove Disney. That would have been a very intriguing path to send these characters down, but the script only hints at those topics slightly, and then it quickly moves on to the next laugh.
The script leaves a bit to be desired, but the cast are the reason to see this production during this final weekend. Maupin proves that less can be oh so much more, and Creasy's Meyerhoff proves that more can be just right.
_______________
Something Intangible, directed by Bill Patton. At The Firehouse Theatre Thursday April 14 thru Saturday April 16. Ticket info here.
--Barry
04.11.11
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